


a Brothers Love

by thatdragonchic



Category: Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Gifts, Presents, a LOT of Alec loving izzy, birthday gifts, fluffy lightwood siblings!, isabelle turns eighteen!!, izzys birthday, lightwood siblings fluff, malec fluff in there too, some malec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-06-03 12:35:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6610882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatdragonchic/pseuds/thatdragonchic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shadowhunters don't celebrate birthdays but Alec always celebrated Izzy's. Every year, without fail, he brought Izzy a cupcake (with a secret recipe he would never tell her) and a present at 12 AM sharp and no later. But now it's 12.30 and he's no where to be found. Little did she know Alec wanted her eighteenth to be the most special of them all.<br/>---<br/>"Izzy I would never forget you, I would never forget you."</p>
            </blockquote>





	a Brothers Love

**Author's Note:**

> leave good vibes in the comments! Tell me what you thought and what could be improved ~

It was about 12 AM now and the institute was fully up and running, hunters training, some out on missions, some at their stations, others at their desks. This was their day- start at 6 PM work until 12 PM. Though today was different, at least for Isabelle Lightwood it was- today was her birthday, or as of thirty seconds ago it was. And as the clock hit twelve Izzy suddenly jumped on her heels a bit, Clary turning to look at her. 

“What?” She asked, looking up from their research. They needed to find Jace and they needed to stop Valentine but they needed all the resources they could find. 

“Oh nothing. I’m just expecting something to come very soon,” Izzy said, smirking to herself, shrugging a bit in lieu of the situation. Twelve o’clock on the dot, every year and he had never failed it, Alec brought her one of his (infamously amazing) strawberry cupcakes (that he would never give her the recipe to and only ever made on her birthday) with swirled chocolate icing and a glittery finish (that she was never so sure how he pulled off) on top with a birthday present- a concise, well thought out, heartfelt birthday present. This year should have been no different but as it hit 12.01 AM she found herself staring at the door, tapping her heel anxiously before deciding she should focus on his work. 

Okay so maybe he wasn’t always on time, he could just be running late with things being hectic lately and all. It was just a minor delay and she wouldn’t be convinced otherwise. Until it was 12.30 AM and Alec still hadn’t shown and Izzy was checking her phone- he didn’t even text her. Her pout was evident now, eyes watering up a bit and Clary noticed. 

“Izzy?” 

“I’m fine. We need to keep working Clary,” She instructed bitterly, deciding that if alec didn’t remember then she wasn’t going to care. She would pretend like she forget him on his birthday too. 

That’s when Magnus walked in. 

  
  


“I need you to do me a  **huge** favor, like huge-” Alec announced as he walked into Magnus’ loft around 11.30, Magnus who was watching TV on the couch glanced over at him, completely undone and sighing. 

“A favor? This late?”

“Late?”

“Right you’re practically nocturnal. What’s up, honey?” He asked tiredly, looking over to Alec who was now standing in front of him, eyes trailing from his legs- which were eye level- up to his eyes, very slowly. Alec rolled his eyes and handed him a cup of coffee with a kiss.

“I need you to distract Izzy for awhile- just make sure she doesn’t leave the institute, snap her into the dress on my bed and then send her to this address-” he handed magnus a small square of paper. “At 3 AM.” 

Magnus took it and the coffee, sitting up and looking at the address. “Isn’t this place like… abandoned or something?”

“Doesn’t matter. Just do it please? I promise I’ll make it up to you,” Alec assured, giving him a pleading look and how could Magnus deny when the Alec Lightwood was practically pouting? 

“Fine- Kiss before I go?” He offered, standing so he was more close to eye level than to crotch level (which gave him only a few too many ideas) and blinking up at him innocently. Alec smirked, an award winning smirk really, before leaning in and pressing their lips together in a more practiced, more gentle manner than their first kiss oh so many months ago. He parted slowly and smiled softly.

“Now go before I kick your ass all the way back to the institute.”

“Sheesh tough crowd and you won’t even tell me what’s so special.”

“It’s an important secret. Now go.” 

So Isabelle was only turning eighteen this year, eighteen was an important date to Mundy’s and Shadowhunters- it signified woman hood. But Birthday’s were not really celebrated amongst the Shadow World yet Alec always felt his sister deserved… more. And god everybody asked too much of her, especially the past 8 months, with Clary and the wedding and Valentine and her break up with Melinor (it was more than just a thing and he _ knew _ it)  and almost losing him due to Alec himself, Alec felt like he really owed her this time. He wasn’t just going to pop in during her work and give her a cupcake and a present- though he’d never freely admit it- Alec was a good party planner and wanted his sister to have the best, so in their old hiding spot when he was still a teenager was a vacant apartment building and they had this one apartment- an empty eerie looking penthouse at the top floor- that they would always go to. He had everything planned out and set up and he hoped Izzy didn’t mind too much- she was only expecting him to be there in about fifteen minutes.

He hoped he didn’t break her heart too much. 

As Magnus emerged from his room, dressed properly, he snapped Alec out of his daze and looked up at him. “Are you planning on staying or you wanna walk me out?” He asked, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips with questioning eyes.

“Hm? Oh yeah, come on let’s go,” Alec agreed, nodding, walking out with Magnus his 

Head lost in his plans to come, looking to Magnus before smiling tightly. He was kind of nervous, if he was honest, what if his sister didn’t show? 

“Okay come on, what are you up to? You look like you might puke. And don’t tell me it’s a secret because let’s be honest, am I really going to tell?”

“It’s Izzy’s birthday and I just wanted to give her something a little more special and I’m kind of breaking tradition and she might be really mad at me but like, I just really hope she shows up because I… I don’t know, like she does so much for me and I’ve put her through so much and yet-” He stopped short and sighed. “I just want to return the favor, I just want her to know I love her and that I appreciate her and just because nobody else bothers to remember her, that doesn’t mean I don’t. I know my sister like I know my own mind, you’ll never find anybody as smart or as wonderful as Izzy, Magnus.” 

“Your devotion to her is really astonishing considering most hours of the day you argue and pull at each other. Yet you’re still so true to each other.” 

“It’s what we do, it’s who we are. Just because I pull at her hairs it doesn’t mean I don’t love her. It’s kind of like that thing where parents yell because they want you to know better? I keep tugging at her because I just want her to be safe, I want to protect her,” Alec explained. “She doesn’t get it, she doesn’t see it, that if anything were to happen to her I wouldn’t even be a person anymore. I love Isabelle so much, she’s my sister, she’s all I have sometimes.” 

“And that’s more than she could ever ask for, Alexander,” Magnus assured. 

“Maybe… but she doesn’t see it.” He sighed before smiling. “I think she’s going to like this though. She will, I’m sure of it.” 

  
  


Isabelle turned at the open door, quickly wiping at her tears as she expected Alec with his normal gift and deafening smile on her birthday- the way it was every year. Though who entered the door was  _ not _ who she wanted to see and she had half the mind to throw Magnus out of the room, tell him to piss off and that Alec wasn’t there.

“Alec’s not here,” She concluded harshly and Magnus smiled gently. 

“I actually came here for you, my darling. Come, get a drink with me will you?” Magnus cooed to her and offered his hand, staring at it she bit her lip. 

“But Clary-” 

“I’ll be fine,” Clary assured. “Besides, you need a break. More than anything, go on,” She said already texting Simon to bring Raphael to come and help. Things had been shaky between the two but she mended as much as she could- things were better. They were getting better, relationship wise though the world still brought its burdens and all that they held, no matter what accounted for and who forgave who, Valentine was still a threat and things needed to be done. 

  
  


Magnus lead Isabelle out of the room and they went on to the small bar in the back of the top floor of the institute. Few others were there besides the bartender, and he sat her down and made the drinks himself, handing her an almost shimmery pink one. She crossed her legs, looking absently into the drink. She was  _ eighteen _ , how could Alec forget her? How  **_could he_ ** ? She sighed profusely and Magnus felt bad, knowing what was really going on, knowing how she must be upset because Alec didn’t show.k 

“What’s on your mind?”

“I just- It’s my birthday and every year at 12 o’clock sharp Alec has never failed to waltz in and give me these really amazing cupcakes and a birthday gift. This is the first time he’s ever forgotten- EVER Magnus, how could he? I thought I was important to him and…” She pouted. “He’s almost an hour late. What could he be doing?” Isabelle looked like she might burst into tears, biting her quivering lip. 

“I have an idea, to be quite honest. He actually told me to send you here, at 3 AM to help him with a mission.” Magnus revealed the sheet of paper to her and handed it over. She looked at the address without much recognition, she had been young at those times when they went and to her it was memory of location not address. The numbers meant virtually nothing to her and Alec would know that- he was playing games and she wasn’t piecing things together.

“Maybe I’ll just forget to go-” 

“Now Now Isabelle, I wouldn’t give up so soon, maybe you could talk to him and see what’s up. Deal it out on the mission when you’re  _ alone _ .” 

“As if Alec would listen, I’m sure he has enough on his plate-” she was talking nonsense really. Alec would listen and he would feel bad, she knew it. That’s when she frowned. “Not on a mission, he wouldn’t appreciate me talking to him about things.” 

“Just go Isabelle.”

“Why is it so important to you?”

“Because you’re his brother and god forbid something happened. Izzy he didn’t turn to me for help, he turned to you- he needs you.” 

Isabelle nodded. And when they were leaving around 2, to head back, Magnus snapped her into the dress Alec had told him to, a silk orange gown, that slit from the sides and opened at the back- a high-low gown that cascaded about her with red and pink floral pattern about the waist. She strut in with her black heels into the room, turning Simon’s head and she smiled shyly at the group, Clary grinning at the sight.

“See you had a wardrobe change.”

“Yeah… guess I did. Is it nice? It’s from Magnus.” 

“Well I didn’t get it, I was just told to put you in it- Alec said it was for the mission,” He stated and Izzy looked down at the dress and rolled her eyes. The  _ mission _ , right.

“Mission?”

“It’s nothing, Alec needs my help on something.” 

  
  


3 Am came along and Isabelle arrived at the building, looking up at the building with intent interest. It felt vaguely familiar and she wondered why- something in her memories was tugging at her but she wasn’t sure what. With that in mind, she entered the abandoned building, seeking out the apartment number and the further up the more she remembered this. Izzy finally got to the top floor and the hall had a single door, her frown turning into a sentimental smile as she remembered where she was, where this was. 

Her and Alec used to come here all the time, hiding from the responsibilities and she remembered him telling her things and talking to her for hours and sometimes he would get her a plate of chinese food with him and they would sit on the floor and talk for hours. She remembered, so vividly all of a sudden, the memories of this place and pridefully she strode into the room to find Alec waiting anxiously in the middle room, his worried expression breaking into a grin as he saw her. 

Izzy stopped short, there were christmas lights hanging from the ceiling and lighting up the room, a pattern of white and pink lights designing the room, in the center was a splay of cupcakes and on a table were gifts and two containers of food. There was music coming from a boombox somewhere on the side and dusty old couches from the previous owner that were now covered in colorful blankets. Izzy smiled a watery smile and almost burst into tears, striding over fast, she threw herself into her brothers arms and Alec stumbled back a bit but his smile softened and he held her close, kissing her head. 

“Now you didn’t think I forgot did you?” Alec mumbled and she nodded her head, in response. 

“You’re such an asshole! How could you trick me like that?”

“I’m the best brother ever.”

“Ass hole.” 

“Best brother, you’ve ever had.”

“You’re an asshole, Hermano.”

“Oh come on, I did all this for you! Not even a thank you Alec? Best brother I’ve ever had? Wow I love it so much and I love you so much?” He teased and Izzy giggled, looking up from his chest and he wiped her tears. “Izzy you’re my sister, I would never forget you.”

“I know… I… I just thought you forgot,” she whispered. “I thought maybe you were busy with the clave, I don’t know.” 

“Never too busy for my baby sister, everyone else can wait.” he kissed her head before pulling her over to the cupcake display and each grabbed one before exchanging them. 

“Do I get the cupcake recipe this year?”

“No. Maybe I’ll let Magnus have it so when I’ve passed somebody can still bring you birthday cupcakes.”

“Asshole.” 

“My speciality.” He laughed, sitting up on the table and licking at the frosting of the cupcake and she sat beside him. The two leaning against each other as they worked away at the cupcakes. The two licking at their frosting in concise, almost identical, manners. 

“Simon and Raphael were there..” 

“Oh?” Alec looked down at her, waiting for her to continue. 

“Yeah, Magnus and I had a drink. Then he put me in this little gem and when we got back, Simon and Raphael were there. I don’t really remember what they were doing, something to do with Valentine.”

“What were you doing before hand?”

“Islamic Mythology.”

“Huh, it’s pretty interesting to be honest. I especially like their version of moses.” 

“Oh? They have some interesting stories. Well… I think all of them are really cool- their take on the devil and his species. They’re jin.”

“Kind of like us except we’re more mundy than jinn. Jinn are made of fire, we’re half angel blood.”

“Yeah… we are. We’re not made of fire like them, those are the demons or in their cases Jinn. Normally, anyways.”

“Yeah normally.”

“Do you like Simon?”

“As in like him as a person or like him as in date him?”

“Both?” She asked, biting into the soft strawberry cake. Alec laughed, licking at the tops of the mound of the chocolate icing. “You have to eat some cake with frosting,” she scolded and he laughed, kissing chocolate icing over her nose. She giggled, nudging him and he shook his head. 

“I don’t like doing that, I like to get all the icing off first. But to answer your question, I think he’s alright but romantically I’m far from interested. I’m comfortable dating Magnus more than anything else in my life.I think we’re really going to work out.”

“You honestly believe that?” She cooed, looking up at him. Alec nodded, finishing the icing on the cupcake and unpeeling the wrapper and biting into it. She laughed softly, leaning against him. “That’s so sweet. Have you… gotten acquainted with his bed?” 

“Gross no. I mean, not like  **gross** but like-  _ gross _ . Why do you want to know that?”

“Because I told  **you** about  **my** first time!” 

“No we haven’t… gotten acquainted with his bed as you put it.”

She laughed and he watched her. “Why were you asking about Simon?”

“Nothing I just wanted to know. Sometimes he looks at you in some kind of way. You know?”

“I don’t because I’m pretty sure if he looks at either of us some type of way he looks at you some type of way.” Alec scoffed before looking to his sister who’s cheeks were a bit pink as she turned her head slowly. “You like him!”

“I do not!” She argued, head snapping up and he gave her a pointed look and she huffed, throwing her wrapper away, alec giving her his too and she shook her head. “I don’t like Simon, I just think he’s kind of cute. Besides, I think I still have a chance with Melinor.”

“Why? Izzy he’s a trickster… he doesn’t deserve you.” Alec stood and walked over to her, giving her a look and she sighed, shaking her head. 

“You don’t know him like me, you’re just saying that big brother.”

“I’m protecting you.”

“I don’t need protecting, especially not from boys-”

“ _ Men _ .” 

Isabelle rolled her eyes and Alec gave her a look. “Come on, show me my gift. You still haven’t given me my gift!” She cheered on, and Alec shrugged, hopping back on the table and gesturing to the gifts alongside the display.

“You have to find it. Some are from mom and dad and max, some are from the institute. Brought them all here.” 

“You-”

“Asshole,” they said together laughing and she sat on the floor, taking one and inspecting it. A small box about the size of a donut box but deeper, like a package. On the box it was signed by Maryse and she smiled a bit, opening it she found a sparkly crop top, new designer jeans and a new set of lingerie. “Huh cute. Do you like it?” She asked, showing him the shirt. He nodded. 

“It would suit you if you did those double braids you used to do.”

“You’re good at this stuff when you want to be.”

“You think so?” Alec teased and she nodded insightfully. “I wouldn’t call it a talent.”

“I think it is. Magnus would like this side of you if he knew,” she assured and he laughed at her. Izzy pouted before picking up a small package, it was pill shaped and she wondered what it was. The little tag that came with it said ‘max’ and she giggled, opening it to find a tshirt with his art work on it. She grinned, showing Alec and Alec grinned back. 

“He’s really proud of his work.”

“I can see,” Isabelle cooed and nodded slowly, folding the shirt up and putting it aside then grabbing another box. Present after present. 

  
  


Clary was marching over there with Raphael and Simon hot on her heels, Magnus trying to convince her everything was fine. “They could get killed! What kind of mission is Alec on that he would think he only needs Clary? He’s being stubborn!” She whispered, looking up at the abandoned building in the distances as they grew closer. Magnus sighed.

“You’re making a big mistake!” 

  
  


“This one is yours!” Isabelle cheered, grabbing the last box and carefully peeling off the beautiful paper he picked out for her, revealing inside the paper a new apple desktop with a smart touch keyboard. Gasping she looked up at him. “Alec you shouldn’t have!” 

“It’s not where your gift ends. Read the card.” He said, pointing to the opposite side of the box, setting up a little blanket so they could eat on the floor. She looked up at him beaming. 

“You are the best brother ever but I don’t need all this,” She gestured to the computer, watching him before snatching the card and inside was a gift card to Sephora and a handmade card. She smiled, he did _ too much _ for her sometimes. 

“Come on, let’s eat. I got you the shrimp fried rice and chicken you like so much.” he invited, setting both plates open on the center of the blanket so they could share as they always did, across from each other. She nodded and sat down with him.

  
  


Clary stood against the wind as she looked up at the building examining the area.

“I don’t hear anything,” Raphael said and she looked over at him nodding. 

“Let’s go check,” she said and Magnus sighed. “Magnus, they could be in trouble, I thought you cared about Alec.”

“I do and that’s why I’m advising you against this.” Magnus followed behind them and Clary persistently stuck her nose in the air and marched up the stairs to save her friends. The three scoping the area and Magnus dragging along behind them. He should leave but then again- he was curious. And what if there really was danger? It was just precaution. 

Though as they entered the top floor and crept through the door, they stood there watching the scene of the two on the floor, eating away at their plates and laughing together almost childishly. 

“I know! I saw it too and I was like ‘oooo mom’s gonna be mad!” Izzy laughed and Alec nodded, feeding her a bite of chicken and laughing. Just like they had when kids. 

“Aldo claims that it’s just some false scandal but honestly, I doubt it. He has the whole inside works of that family but I guess full details haven’t emerged-”

“Hmm if you ask me, Ren is in on us.”

“Everyone is on us.” 

They laughed, they giggled, they looked childish and innocent. She was wearing some jewelry that her grandmother had sent her, and the necklace Magnus gave her. “So… Tell me all the details on your relationship.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. Come on,” Izzy insisted and Alec rolled his eyes, Raphael clearing his throat in hopes of saving his young friend any embarrassment. They both looked up and Alec gave said other a look and Magnus signaled and he understood. 

“What’s happening?” Simon asked confused, clinging to Raphael’s side, looking between Raphael then Clary, both shrugging. 

“Told you they were fine,” Magnus said and Alec laughed softly. 

“It’s Izzy’s birthday and we always celebrate.” 

“I try to celebrate his but god forbid anybody appreciated Alexander Gideon Lightwood- he would absolutely die if he knew how great he was.”

Alec smirked, shaking his head. “Oh god… I don’t do this every year! Normally-”

“Doesn’t matter! You still deserve something.”

“I deserve my sister and that’s all I need in this world.” Alec assured and she smiled, moving to hug him and he kissed the top of her head, squeezing her in his arms. Isabelle smiled before looking to the group. 

“Take cupcakes! Sit down, I have presents to show you!” She invited and they did, closing the thick dusty curtains for the vamps and they spent their whole day there, falling asleep in the old loft by the time it was high noon. Izzy couldn’t help but think  _ best brother ever.  _

**Author's Note:**

> Tid-bit! In Islam the Jinn are an unseen race of creatures, like people, that roamed the earth before us. These beings are made of fire or ice and God replaced them and made them unseen by the humans because they started a big war and rid the land into ruins with their wars. So God created man- we believe that the Devil is a Jinn and so on. Just an interesting fact and something mentioned in the story!


End file.
